A novel TGFßR2 splice variant in patient with aortic aneurysm and family history for aortic dissection: a case report.

We report the clinical presentation and genetic screening of a 31-year-old man with dilatation of the aortic root and ascending aorta and a positive family history for aortic dissection and sudden death. A novel heterozygous variant in a splice acceptor site (c.1600-1G>T) of TGFßR2 gene was identified by using a targeted multi-gene panel analysis. Bioinformatics tools predicted that the c.1600-1G>T variant is pathogenic by altering acceptor splice site at - 1 position affecting pre-mRNA splicing. These data confirm that the diverging splicing in the TGF-ß pathway genes may be an important process in aneurismal disease and emphasize the utility of genetic sequencing in the identification of high-risk patients for a more patient's management able to improve outcomes and minimize costs for the care of patients with heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.

State-of-the-Art of Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an increasingly used alternative to oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation, especially in patients with absolute/relative contraindications to these therapies. This review will cover three main aspects of the procedure. In the fist part of the manuscript, we focus on patient selection. We describe three main categories of patients with primary indication to LAAO, namely patients with previous or at a high risk of intracerebral bleeding, patients with a history of major gastrointestinal bleeding and patients with end-stage renal disease and absolute contraindication to novel oral anticoagulants. Some other potential indications are also described. In the second part of the manuscript, we review available devices, trying to highlight different aspects and potential specific advantages. The last section overviews different ways for pre-, intra- and postprocedural imaging, in order to improve procedural safety and efficacy and ameliorate patient outcome. The characteristics of available contemporary devices and the role of imaging in procedural planning, intraprocedural guidance and follow-up are described.

An atypical Aymé-Gripp phenotype detected by exome sequencing.

Aymé-Gripp Syndrome (AGS) is an ultra-rare syndrome characterized by peculiar facial traits combined with early bilateral cataracts, sensorineural hearing loss, and variable neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Only a few cases carrying a pathogenic variant in MAF have been described to date. A significant effort is then required to expand the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of this condition. In this paper, we report the peculiar case of a 6-year-old girl carrying a de novo missense pathogenic variant in MAF, being the first case reported to show a milder phenotype with no cataracts and deafness displayed. Furthermore, we performed a systematic review of previously published cases, focusing on clinical manifestation and genotype.

A Novel Frailty Score Based on Laboratory Parameters (FIMS Score) for the Management of Older Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis.

This study aimed to develop a novel score based on common laboratory parameters able to identify frail and sarcopenic patients as well as predict mortality in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) for tailored clinical decision-making. A total of 109 patients (83 ± 5 years; females, 68%) with AS underwent a multidisciplinary pre-operative assessment and finalized a "frailty-based management" for the AS interventional treatment. Laboratory parameters of statistically significant differences between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic individuals were tested in the structural equation model (SEM) to build a Frailty Inflammation Malnutrition and Sarcopenia score (FIMS score). Mortality at 20 months of follow-up was considered an outcome. FIMS score, in particular, the cut-off value ≥ 1.28 was able to identify "frail" and "early frail" patients and predict mortality with a sensitivity of 83.3% and 82.6%, respectively (p = 0.001) and was an independent determinant associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR 5.382; p-value = 0.002). The FIMS score, easily achievable and usable in clinical practice, was able to identify frail and sarcopenic patients as well as predict their adverse clinical outcomes. This score could provide appropriate guidance during decision-making regarding elderly patients with severe AS.

Prognostic role of CRP-independent inflammatory patterns in patients undergoing primary percutaneous interventions.

BACKGROUND: Despite the key pathophysiological role of inflammation in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD), the evaluation of inflammatory status has not been clearly established in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of CRP-independent inflammatory patterns in patients referred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and to determine their one-year relationship with adverse clinical outcomes. METHODS: We carried out a single-centre, observational study consecutively enrolling all patients presenting at a large-volume PCI hub with a diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and treated with pPCI. Systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) was calculated at admission and discharge. According to different SII trajectories patients were divided into four patterns: 'persistent-low', 'down-sloping', 'up-sloping' and 'persistent-high' patterns. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause of death and myocardial infarction (MI) at a one-year follow-up. RESULTS: Among the total 2353 subjects enrolled, 44% of them belonged to 'persistent-low', 31% to 'down-sloping', 4% to 'up-sloping' and 21% to 'persistent-high' pattern. The primary endpoint was observed in 8% of patients with a 'persistent-low', 12% with a 'down-sloping', 27% with an 'up-sloping' and 25% with a persistent-high pattern (p = 0.001). After multivariate analysis, 'up-sloping' (OR: 3.2 [1.59-3.93]; p = 0.001) and 'persistent-high' (OR: 4.1 [3.03-4.65]; p = 0.001) patterns emerged as independent predictors of one-year adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: 'Persistent-high' and 'up-sloping' CRP-independent inflammatory patterns in patients undergoing primary PCI are associated with an increased risk of adverse events at one-year follow-up. The prognostic value of these inflammatory patterns might be helpful to individualize potential therapeutic targets.

One-year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the latest-generation SAPIEN balloon-expandable valve: the S3U registry.

BACKGROUND: Initial data about the performance of the new-generation SAPIEN 3 Ultra (S3U) valve are highly promising. However, evidence about the longer-term performance and safety of the S3U is scarce. AIMS: We aimed to investigate the 1-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the S3U compared with its predecessor, the SAPIEN 3 valve (S3). METHODS: The SAPIEN 3 Ultra registry included consecutive patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI at 12 European centres with the S3U or S3 between October 2016 and December 2020. One-to-one propensity score (PS) matching was performed to account for differences in baseline characteristics. The primary outcomes of interest were all-cause death and the composite of all-cause death, disabling stroke and hospitalisation for heart failure at 1 year. RESULTS: The overall study cohort encompassed 1,692 patients treated with either the S3U (n=519) or S3 (n=1,173). The PS-matched population had a total of 992 patients (496 per group). At 1 year, the rate of death from any cause was 4.9% in the S3U group and 6.3% in the S3 group (p=0.743). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the rates of the primary composite outcome (9.5% in the S3 group and 6.6% in the S3U group; p=0.162). The S3U was associated with lower rates of mild paravalvular leak (PVL) compared with the S3 (odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.44 to 0.88; p<0.01). No significant differences in transprosthetic gradients were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the S3, the S3U transcatheter heart valve was associated with similar 1-year clinical outcomes but reduced rates of mild PVL.

Balloon Fracture During TAVR: Effective and Repeatable Technique Not Written in the Textbook.

An 88-year-old man was referred to transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Edwards 26-mm Sapien bioprosthetic valve (Sapien) implantation was planned after accurate computed tomography-based procedure planning. When the valve was released, the inflation pressure decreased rapidly due to the balloon bursting. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Diagnostic issues faced by a rare disease healthcare network during Covid-19 outbreak: data from the Campania Rare Disease Registry.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were: to investigate the capacity of the rare disease healthcare network in Campania to diagnose patients with rare diseases during the outbreak of Covid-19; and to shed light on problematic diagnoses during this period. METHODS: To describe the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of patients with rare diseases, a retrospective analysis of the Campania Region Rare Disease Registry was performed. A tailored questionnaire was sent to rare disease experts to investigate major issues during the emergency period. RESULTS: Prevalence of new diagnoses of rare disease in March and April 2020 was significantly lower than in 2019 (117 versus 317, P < 0.001 and 37 versus 349, P < 0.001, respectively) and 2018 (117 versus 389, P < 0.001 and 37 versus 282, P < 0.001, respectively). Eighty-two among 98 rare disease experts completed the questionnaire. Diagnostic success (95%), access to diagnosis (80%) and follow-up (72%), lack of Personal Protective Equipment (60%), lack of Covid-19 guidelines (50%) and the need for home therapy (78%) were the most important issues raised during Covid-19 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak on the diagnosis of rare disease in a single Italian region and investigates potential issues of diagnosis and management during this period.

Natural history of left ventricular hypertrophy in infants of diabetic mothers.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to describe the characteristics and the natural course of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in a well-characterized consecutive cohort of infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs). METHODS: Sixty consecutive IDMs with LVH have been retrospectively identified and enrolled in the study. All IDMs were evaluated at baseline and every 6 months until LV wall thickness regression, defined as the decrease of wall thickness measurement into the normal reference range for cardiac parameters (z-score > -2 and < 2). A comprehensive assessment was performed in those patients with diagnostic markers suggestive of a different cause and/or without significant reduction of the LVH during follow-up. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, all IDMs showed a significant reduction of maximal wall thickness MWT (6.00 mm [IQR 5.00-712] vs. 5.50 mm [IQR 5.00-6.00], p-value <0.001; MWT-z-score: 4.86 [IQR 3.93-7.61] vs. 1.72 [IQR 1.08-2.85], p-value <0.001) compared to baseline, and all patients showed LV wall thickness regression or residual mild or moderate LVH (57%, 28%, and 12%, respectively), except 2 patients with persistent severe LVH, that after a comprehensive clinical-genetic assessment were diagnosed as Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines. At multivariate analysis, MWT was negatively associated with LV wall thickness regression at 1-year follow-up (MWT-mm: OR 0.48[0.29-0.79], p-value = 0.004; MWT-z-score: OR 0.71[0.56-0.90], p-value = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: LVH in IDMs represents a benign condition with complete regression during the first years of life. In those patients without LV wall thickness regression, combined with clinical markers suggesting a specific disease, a complete work-up is required for a definite diagnosis.

Clinical Manifestations of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome.

DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), also known as "22q11.2 deletion syndrome" (22q11DS) (MIM # 192430 # 188400), is a genetic disorder caused by hemizygous microdeletion of the long arm of chromosome 22. In the last decades, the introduction of fluorescence in situ hybridization assays, and in selected cases the use of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, has allowed the detection of chromosomal microdeletions that could not be previously identified using standard karyotype analysis. The aim of this review is to address cardiovascular and systemic involvement in children with DGS, provide genotype-phenotype correlations, and discuss their medical management and therapeutic options.

Cardiovascular Involvement in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is a systemic disorder resulting from the extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils of misfolded transthyretin protein in the heart. ATTR-CA is a life-threatening disease, which can be caused by progressive deposition of wild type transthyretin (wtATTR) or by aggregation of an inherited mutated variant of transthyretin (mATTR). mATTR Is a rare condition transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner with incomplete penetrance, causing heterogenous phenotypes which can range from predominant neuropathic involvement, predominant cardiomyopathy, or mixed. Diagnosis of ATTR-CA is complex and requires integration of different imaging tools (echocardiography, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance) with genetics, clinical signs, laboratory tests, and histology. In recent years, new therapeutic agents have shown good efficacy and impact on survival and quality of life in this subset of patients, nevertheless patients affected by ATTR-CA may still carry an unfavorable prognosis, thus highlighting the need for new therapies. This review aims to assess cardiovascular involvement, diagnosis, and management of patients affected by ATTR-CA.

Advanced Heart Failure in Special Population-Pediatric Age.

Heart failure (HF) is an important health care issue in children because of its considerable morbidity and mortality. Advanced HF encompasses patients who remained symptomatic despite optimal medical treatment and includes patients who require special management, such as continuous inotropic therapy, mechanical circulatory support, or heart transplantation (HT). HT is the gold standard for children with advanced HF; nonetheless, the number of suitable donors has not increased for decades, leading to prolonged waitlist times and increased mortality rates. Therefore, the role of pediatric mechanic circulatory support has been assessed as an alternative treatment in patients in whom heart transplant could not be performed. The authors discuss the epidemiology, causes, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, medical treatment, device therapy, and HT in pediatric HF, and a particular emphasis was posed on patients with advanced HF.

Impact of Regular Physical Activity on Aortic Diameter Progression in Paediatric Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have an increased risk of aortic dilation and aortic dissection or rupture. The impact of physical training on the natural course of aortopathy in BAV patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of regular physical activity on aortic diameters in a consecutive cohort of paediatric patients with BAV. Consecutive paediatric BAV patients were evaluated and categorized into two groups: physically active and sedentary subjects. Only the subjects with a complete 2-year follow-up were included in the study. To evaluate the potential impact of physical activity on aortic size, aortic diameters were measured at the sinus of Valsalva and mid-ascending aorta using echocardiography. We defined aortic diameter progression the increase of aortic diameter ≥ 10% from baseline. Among 90 BAV patients (11.5 ± 3.4 years of age, 77% males), 53 (59%) were physically active subjects. Compared to sedentary, physically active subjects were not significantly more likely to have > 10% increase in sinus of Valsalva (13% vs. 8%, p-value = 0.45) or mid-ascending aorta diameter (9% vs. 13%, p-value = 0.55) at 2 years follow-up, both in subjects with sinus of Valsalva diameter progression (3.7 ± 1.0 mm vs. 3.5 ± 0.8 mm, p-value = 0.67) and in those with ascending aorta diameter progression (3.0 ± 0.8 mm vs. 3.2 ± 1.3 mm, p-value = 0.83). In our paediatric cohort of BAV patients, the prevalence and the degree of aortic diameter progression was not significantly different between physically active and sedentary subjects, suggesting that aortic dilation is unrelated to regular physical activity over a 2-year period.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Children: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Non-sarcomeric Causes.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a myocardial disease characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy not solely explained by abnormal loading conditions. Despite its rare prevalence in pediatric age, HCM carries a relevant risk of mortality and morbidity in both infants and children. Pediatric HCM is a large heterogeneous group of disorders. Other than mutations in sarcomeric genes, which represent the most important cause of HCM in adults, childhood HCM includes a high prevalence of non-sarcomeric causes, including inherited errors of metabolism (i.e., glycogen storage diseases, lysosomal storage diseases, and fatty acid oxidation disorders), malformation syndromes, neuromuscular diseases, and mitochondrial disease, which globally represent up to 35% of children with HCM. The age of presentation and the underlying etiology significantly impact the prognosis of children with HCM. Moreover, in recent years, different targeted approaches for non-sarcomeric etiologies of HCM have emerged. Therefore, the etiological diagnosis is a fundamental step in designing specific management and therapy in these subjects. The present review aims to provide an overview of the non-sarcomeric causes of HCM in children, focusing on the pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of these rare disorders.

Combined Effect of Mediterranean Diet and Aerobic Exercise on Weight Loss and Clinical Status in Obese Symptomatic Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

We evaluated the impact of weight loss (WL) using a Mediterranean diet and mild-to-moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program, on clinical status of obese, symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Compared with nonresponders, responders showed a significant reduction of left atrial diameter, left atrial volume index (LAVI), E/E'average, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and a significant increase in Vo2max (%) and peak workload. Body mass index changes correlated with reduction in left atrial diameter, LAVI, E/E'average, PASP, and increase of Vo2max (mL/Kg/min), Vo2max (%), peak workload. Mediterranean diet and aerobic exercise is associated with clinical-hemodynamic improvement in obese symptomatic HCM patients.

Potential role of imaging markers in predicting future disease expression of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Aim: To evaluate the predictive accuracy of trabecular hypertrophy/derangement and late gadolinium enhancement in predicting diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC). Materials & methods: Fifty-nine suspected AC patients were evaluated. To evaluate the ability of these markers to detect patients fulfilling definite diagnosis at 4-year follow-up, sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) and predictive accuracy (PA) were calculated. Results: Presence of trabecular hypertrophy/derangement showed high NPV, while late gadolinium enhancement at cardiac MRI high Sp, NPV and PA. Their combination with symptoms and/or revised Task Force Criteria showed a high Sp, NPV and PA for definitive diagnosis during follow-up. Conclusion: In suspected AC patients, the absence of these markers allows to identify those with lower risk of disease progression.

"Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Time of COVID-19": A Review of Biological, Environmental, and Psychosocial Contributors.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly become a worldwide health crisis.Although respiratory disease remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID patients,myocardial damage is a common finding. Many possible biological pathways may explain therelationship between COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Increased immune andinflammatory responses, and procoagulant profile have characterized COVID patients. All theseresponses may induce endothelial dysfunction, myocardial injury, plaque instability, and AMI.Disease severity and mortality are increased by cardiovascular comorbidities. Moreover, COVID-19has been associated with air pollution, which may also represent an AMI risk factor. Nonetheless,a significant reduction in patient admissions following containment initiatives has been observed,including for AMI. The reasons for this phenomenon are largely unknown, although a real decreasein the incidence of cardiac events seems highly improbable. Instead, patients likely may presentdelayed time from symptoms onset and subsequent referral to emergency departments because offear of possible in-hospital infection, and as such, may present more complications. Here, we aim todiscuss available evidence about all these factors in the complex relationship between COVID-19and AMI, with particular focus on psychological distress and the need to increase awareness ofischemic symptoms.

Molecular Basis of Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) represent a diverse group of heart muscle diseases, grouped into specific morphological and functional phenotypes. CMPs are associated with mutations in sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric genes, with several suspected epigenetic and environmental mechanisms involved in determining penetrance and expressivity. The understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of myocardial diseases is fundamental to achieving a proper management and treatment of these disorders. Among these, inflammation seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of CMPs. The aim of the present study is to review the current knowledge on the role of inflammation and the immune system activation in the pathogenesis of CMPs and to identify potential molecular targets for a tailored anti-inflammatory treatment.

Combined PTPN11 and MYBPC3 Gene Mutations in an Adult Patient with Noonan Syndrome and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

In this report, an atypical case of Noonan syndrome (NS) associated with sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a 33-year-old patient was described. Genetic testing revealed two different disease-causing mutations: a mutation in the PTPN11 gene, explaining NS, and a mutation in the MYBPC3 gene, known to be associated with HCM. This case exemplifies the challenge in achieving a definite etiological diagnosis in patients with HCM and the need to exclude other diseases mimicking this condition (genocopies or phenocopies). Compound heterozygous mutations are rare but possible in HCM patients. In conclusion, this study highlights the important role of genetic testing as a necessary diagnostic tool for performing a definitive etiological diagnosis of HCM.